Recently Diagnosed Type 2

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tomcamish

tomcamish

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Afternoon All,

As the title says - I've recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, after going to the doctors to find out why I seemed to be constantly dehydrated.

2 blood tests later, both showing a fasting sugar level of around 15.4 - we have a winner! (not).

Just thought I'd introduce myself - I'm Tom, I'm 28 and I live in Norwich with my wife (married 2 years, together 7) and for some reason I decided to get a job in IT Support which I've been doing for 5 years.

Needless to say I haven't got a clue what I'm supposed to do about diabetes. I've started changing my diet - cutting out sugary junk and eating more fruit and veg, and even started cycling to work. Planning on buying a couple of half decent tennis rackets and keeping a bit more active that way, and although I look stupid I use my wife's hula hoop regularly.

My wife didn't take the news as well as I did - she saw it as "one thing after another" after losing our son to meningitis 7 months ago, so she's worried it's gonna get worse - her dad has Type 1 so she's seen a lot of diabetes over the years.

I have had brief chats with her dad about carbohydtrates etc, what to avoid and what to eat less of, but as he's type 1 he has to be a lot stricter than me so I'm looking for other people with type 2 for ideas.

One thing he did say would be worth doing was to get a blood glucose monitor so if I'm feeling particularly tired or rough I can find out of I've eaten too many carbs etc. I've seen these pretty cheap on Amazon but I don't want to go and buy one and for it to be a piece of junk.

So, any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
 
Hi tomcamish, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'd suggest starting by reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter - these should help you understand what it is all about. I'd also recommend getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found very helpful. Definitely worth getting a meter so you can work out what things you tolerate well in your diet - have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a guide to testing efficiently. The Codefree meters are used by quite a lot of our members and seem to be fine. Most meters you find on the high street use very expensive test strips, which can be as high as £30 for 50, so the Codefree strips at around £8 represent quite a saving. All meters have to conform to certain standards, so you don't need to worry about them being inferior.

Please let us know if you have any questions and we will do our best to help! 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum! I expect someone more knowledgable about type two will be along soon, in the meantime, there is a wealth of info on here to dip into. one thing that surprises me, is that your father in law reckons he has to be more strict than you. in many ways, I think we type 1s can be less strict, as we have insulin to tailor to our carb intake. (unless your FIL is on a two a day insulin regime, which isn't so flexible. Most people on here seem to be like me, on a once a day basal, then a flexible short acting to cover each meal.)

I bought a Codefree meter from Amazon, as a spare, because it was recommended on here. the strips are around £8 a box, which is a lot cheaper than most. I find it is as accurate as my Accuchek Aviva, which is the one I get prescribed strips for. it's a bone of contention as to whether type twos should get strips on prescription.I think it's vital, but a lot of doctors disagree. Again, somewhere on here, there is info about how to persuade your doctor to prescribe them for you.
have you been prescribed any medication, or have you been left to try and control it by diet so far?
 
Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Ironically it was a Codefree monitor that I was looking at on Amazon so i'll go ahead and order it. I wasnt expecting to get strips on prescription so I dont mind buying them.

My FIL didn say he needed to be more strict - its just what I thought, so that might be my current ignorance of the effects of diabetes.

So far all that has happened is I have had 2 blood tests to check my glucose levels (2nd was a repeat of the 1st), and a 3rd test to check my cholesterol.

I was told by the doctor after the 3rd test that I would be referred to the "diabetic clinic" at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital but all he'd said other that that is that it was "probably" type 2 diabetes, as I have been very dehydrated, quite tired, lost about 4 stone in the past 6 months without trying (which is good in a way as i was over 19st) and had high blood glucose - got a letter through on Satuday last which said I had been referred due to my "recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes", which I guess is the confirmation the doctor didn't give.

However, I thought it would be a medical clinic that would go through what it is and why and what to do etc, instead it's an invitation for a place in a group session where I will have talks from a dietition and a nurse who specialises in diabetes, so hopefully it'll be beneficial.

So for now I havent really been told much about checkups etc, so as far as medication goes it hasnt even been mentioned to me. Good old NHS.

Thanks again -I'll have a look through the info in the links you gave.
 
Welcome ! You have the right attitude straight away. Beat the ----😱
 
Hi Tom, I was diagnosed with Type 2 in Feb and initially I took it badly because I already have a serious condition and could have done without a double whammy. You've certainly suffered with the loss of your son and I send my deepest sympathies to you. No wonder your wife thought, 'what next?'

My best advice would have to be what you've already decided...to get a meter. My GP seems to have taken the line of minimal involvement/just get on with it/you seem to know what you're doing! The up side of that is he just prescribes the test strips (he gave me a meter whilst telling me I had diabetes) and frankly that's the last I've seen of him! If there is a diabetic nurse, I've not been referred to her but I did see a dietician. By then I'd spent days researching all this (I like to understand my enemy) so felt a bit more knowledgeable. Then I joined on here and learned what diabetes is really about 😉

It doesn't seem to suit everyone but I decided to 'eat by the meter' and by doing so I learned what my personal tolerance and spike foods are. I had a HbA1c after 3 months (at my request) and I'd managed to bring it down from 52 to 44.

I've also been trying to lose weight but eating lower carb helps naturally with that anyway. And I feel a whole lot better! 🙂

A education course was mentioned to me but I like to go it alone with these things. I think they can be very useful though.

Good luck, you're already on the right track it seems and the weight loss and exercise will really help. And I think your wife will actually be pleased at how much better you'll begin to feel and look! I'd just say be cautious about the amount of carb and fruit the medics suggest you can eat. I found by testing food responses it was far too generous to keep me within safe limits!

Amigo
 
Hi Tom,

I'm incredibly sorry to hear about your son, that must have been a terrible ordeal for your whole family.

In terms of the diabetes, we seem to be in quite similar situations, although I'm glad that my GP and diabetes team seem to be a bit more proactive than yours. I'm incredibly surprised that you have not been put on any medication. Your glucose level is as high as mine and I'm on insulin twice a day. You should at least be on something like metformin tablets. My doctors seem to think that mine is type 1 though, which appears to be treated differently. Good luck with the exercise and eating healthily. One thing I've been advised to follow is the low GI diet, although it still seems to be too early to tell whether it's having a significant impact on my glucose levels.

Matt
 
Welcome to the forum tomcamish 🙂
 
Sorry to hear about your son , I can only begin to imagine what your wife must be feeling , tell her to keep her chin up and talk things over .
I was only told on Monday that I have type 2 diabetes and was prescribed 1 metformin a day to try but was warned that it may not suit me because of other medical conditions so at the moment I am just taking each day as it comes and keeping busy so I do not have time to worry . Hope it all works out for you , good luck.
 
Hi tomcamish and welcome
It sounds like you've made s good start on changing diet and lifestyle. It's definitely worth getting the meter to see how different foods affect your levels and adjusting your diet accordingly. It takes time and effort but this is a great place for help and support Wishing you well 🙂
 
I've noticed lots of people with Type 2 were put straight on medication.

Should i be concerned that medication hasn't even been mentioned? Or could i be "mildly" diabetic? Is there such thing?
 
tomcamish said:
I've noticed lots of people with Type 2 were put straight on medication.

Should i be concerned that medication hasn't even been mentioned? Or could i be "mildly" diabetic? Is there such thing?
Click to expand...

It's down to the doctor really. In practice they are supposed to allow you 3 months without medication to see if you can manage to improve your levels through changes to your diet and activity levels, but some doctors automatically start people off on metformin.

In answer to your question, although 'mild' diabetes and 'severe' diabetes are terms used by some healthcare professionals, there's not really any such thing - just as there is also no 'cure' for Type 2 diabetes, although a lot of people will suggest that if you can manage to control your blood glucose levels then you are cured. The reality, of course, is just that - you are controlling your diabetes, and if you slip into bad habits then that control will disappear.

Good luck - let us know how you get on with things 🙂
 
Northerner said:
It's down to the doctor really. In practice they are supposed to allow you 3 months without medication to see if you can manage to improve your levels through changes to your diet and activity levels, but some doctors automatically start people off on metformin....
Click to expand...
Although I think the NICE guidelines say that if you are diagnosed with high levels then they should put you on something, either that or it says skip over metformin straight to a gliclazide (or possibly both).

Although if you find yourself feeling much worse, don't hesitate to go back to the Dr's.
 
Hi Katrin I've been taking I metformin slow release daily for over a year and have never had any bad effects I always take it in the morning with breakfast so that may help too
 
Thanks Linda. My son has been put on metformin 500mg x 3 per day, so a high dose, but his blood sugar level initially was 19. Do you know how long it takes for the meds to bring down the bsl? Thinking my son might get more side effects because of high dosage but hope for the best. Once you are on it, do you have to stay on it, or can you come off it when stabilised?
 
Hi Katrin,

My mum was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 8 months ago. With a very careful diet and a lot more exercise, plus the metformin tablets twice a day, she's managed to get her blood sugar down to a level where the nurse is trialling her without the tablets for 3 months to see how her blood sugar levels are. So it is possible to come off the tablets, but I guess every person is different and their bodies and reactions to the medication are different.

Good luck to your son.

Matt
 
Sorry Katrin I haven't had internet at home and just seen your questions To be honest Matt has pretty well answered 🙂
I'm not sure the 1 tablet I take makes much difference to my bs level For me it's more about diet and exercise I tried really hard to get lower readings and come off the tablet but just couldn't keep it up long term so now try to maintain a slightly higher level Hopefully your son will be able to reduce his medication once he gets to grips with things Certainly some people seem to be able to Just not me! Hope he copes ok with the metformin x
 
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